The Lady of the Sable Plumage
by LiquidAutumn
Summary: Waking up in a strange world isn't always terrifying. Could be nightmare. Sort of.
1. I:  The Lady

I

Tip...tap...tip...tap...

Everything. The air were clasped tight, darkness shone on everything. It was a tunnel of one's body where you can hear naught but their breathing and heartbeat. It was not a place of conscience nor consciousness to linger.

The man walked forth.

Tip...trot...tip...trot...

He could not see, nor hear, nor sense besides what is beyond - the ultimate breaching road he was preparing for.

Tip...trot...

There Sasuke's opponent laid in his humbled corner.

"You have come, Sasuke."

Four eyes peered into each other's, those eyes that mirrored one another.

"I guess this is where it ends, brother."

Sasuke could no longer feel himself as his ears rung with a thousand silences. Yes... I have come this far... I will not lose...

Screwing his courage and embracing his instincts, he stepped forward for the first attack.

II

Two and a half years earlier...

She woke up.

She knew not how, for she has never woken up before, nor did she ever see or hear or feel anything alien to her subconsciousness. She fluttered her eyelids - did she have eyelids? She knew not how to move, and felt as a newborn baby would feel upon being stripped of the womb and plunged into airs.

And now she walks in the sun, too. Such as nasty thing, but really it did no harm above annoyance. She walked idly around, seeking shelter.

But nevertheless, she was free.

"Hey, babe."

"Whatcha doin' walkin' 'round 'lone like that?"

Who were they? She wondered curiously. It was just a couple of BOYS who were standing around, idling just like her.

"Sorry," she stopped. "Do I know you?"

The boys looked at each other, then laughed.

"Of course you know US, we were long friends!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know your names. Perhaps I've forgotten."

"No worries, we can remind each other later. What's your name, hon?"

"How do you know me if you don't know my name?"

They looked at each other again and laughed.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I am in earnest. But perhaps you are mistaken after all if you claim know me and do not know my name."

And she walked away, and the boys were still laughing: "Oh, she's a good one, she is!"

What was her name? She could not remember a thing, at least nothing about herself. She has been walking around and saw that there were different humans gathered in a bunch, ancient and young, gross and petite, women and men. She thinks she's a woman, but she's not so sure. She was sure men would talk more with men and women with women - so perhaps she really was a man and that's why those boys would even speak to her. But men don't have long, silver hair like she did, so is she a woman after all?

What is this village called? Mica Village? In the Land of Fire? She had walked into this village from the place where she woke up...Were villages always part of the land, or the land a part of the village? Anyway, villages had names, and people had names. Did she have a name too? She heard someone call her "Zero". Was that her name?

"What are you still doing outside? I told you to come in five minutes ago!"

Zero stopped. It was a woman of buxom measures, clouding over three boys in the mud.

"But, mama, just five more minutes and I'll finish this castle - and then I'll come in and eat." one of the three boys explained as the mother swelled with anger by the second.

"Enough! Get back here, you lazy ass, and see that your clothes are properly cleaned off - I don't know why I keep you."

Zero watched the boy being pulled away by the ear, and the two other boys continued to build their mud castle as if nothing has happened. Zero started to furrow her brow - was this supposed to happen?

And she walked on, lonely and frightened, and the people around her dissolved into unfavoured, bothersome parasites, self-centred, egotistical wretched creatures. She wished she wasn't one of the humans, was she? She never behaved like they did, their selfishness and lack of affection...

"I told you, give me the pot, wench!"

She stopped suddenly, realizing she had came upon the outskirts of the village. The voice apparently sourced from a square, gorse hermit, his eyes hungry for the fish pot a young girl held in her hands.

"N-no, I can't, mama says I've - I've got to give them to m'daddy..."

"Look, cunt, I haven't eaten shit for three days and your daddy can crawl home. I'll say it one more time: give it to me!"

The girl was paralyzed with fear and could not even stammer.

"Goddamn it!"

In that moment he lunged forward for the pot- but there he breathed his last- for Zero knows not what she did, and in a flash her grasscutter cut easily past the hermit's shirt and impaled him.

Zero did not know how she wielded the sword, nor how could she have the strength to drive it through him, but she stood there calmly, and her arms did not shake; the drips of blood ran down the grasscutter and fell on the blades of grass. A corpse hang uselessly from her sword.

Drip...drip...drop...

The young girl watched, horrified, as the blood darkened the grass with red.

"M-M..."

Zero withdrew the blade and the body collapsed; at once the girl dropped her pot and hurried back to the village.

"MURDERER!"

Zero shook. She didn't like that word, at all...and she stood there, fixed, till the sound of an army started to reach her ears.

The villagers had come, armed with spades, shovels, axes and every best weapon. "Don't let the murderer run away yet! Keep her in! She won't get away with frightening my daughter!"

She suddenly spun around, with the blood still hanging from her eyelashes. Remorse and sorrow shot through her...but she was never well acquainted with these feelings...

"Don't come any closer." She tried to say, but her throat was hoarse. Her sword, still intact with blood, spoke for her.

She tried to run away, but they were angry and tried to stop her - she had to use her sword to defend herself, strike them down - there were close calls, but they all became frightened...eventually the horde stopped, and she knew not where she was...she was tired...

She fell to the ground and wept sincerely.

III

"A rogue ninja?"

Lady Tsunade was sorting through her papers in the main office. Being Hokage is sometimes nothing short of a nuisance, but anyway, who cares about little nuisances when you've faced worse?

Her own foolishly loyal servant- assistant, Shizune, answered, "Yes, I'm afraid so. I've looked at the report a few times, but every word is truth. It's a little village on the edge of Land of Fire and Village of Sound, and just yesterday three of their men got slaughtered by this rogue. They were positive they won't be satisfied unless she is brought to the village and executed before their eyes. Plus, it's against to law to slaughter three men."

"What a morbid village!" Tsunade muttered under her breath. "Wait, did you just say 'she'?"

"Oh, yes, they say she's a woman - somewhat tall, with long silver hair, a fashionable Mohawk and sable garments. She also wields a grasscutter."

"Can you give me more details on her appearance?"

"Afraid not- none of the villagers want to at this time, and none of them really saw her face clearly except the ones who got too close and died- they say her face was covered in blood."

"Another crazy, insanely strong monster- probably a prodigy in her youth. How do they know if she's a ninja? Does she have a forehead protector?"

"Not at all."

"This is incredibly difficult, but I don't suppose this can get worse. At any rate, we'll file this as a low B rank mission, since there's no concrete evidence the rogue IS a ninja - probably a samurai wannabe with too much time on her hands."

"Ay, but Lady Tsunade -"

"So who should we send to die- I mean, track down the mysterious 'rogue'?"

"I'll make arrangements for that."

And Lady Tsunade shifted to the next report.

"Poor Lady Tsunade," Shizune sighed quietly. "Painfully overworked." 


	2. II: The Fall

IV

Zero had almost finished exacerbating her passion; there was but a dwelling aftermath of the shock to the conscience that she had killed people- three men- she brought to their death by her own hands. She knew not why, yet it disturbed her greatly. If she could but go back in time...

"Who cares about these meek humans?" she stood up and wiped her tears. "Who cares about what they think of me? They were selfish creatures and they always will!"

At her decry a sudden image penetrated and overtook her memories; she vaguely remembered something, and there she saw herself crying as the smell of dead bodies crawled into her pores. She cried in fear and bewilderment, as she saw that man step forward.

Tip...tap...

She looked into the murderer's face, the face that once she had yearned to see every moment.

Not like this...

"Why did you do this?"

And then it went blank.

"Argh! What the hell is this thing?" Zero clutched her head and yanked its roots. "What the hell is going on?"

"Ah! I've found you at last."

Zero froze. Such a voice sounded almost familiar...curses, she wished things would make sense!

She looked everywhere, and was standing on a mere pile of cold rocks perched arrogantly high above the meadow grounds to seek the master of the voice. And out of nowhere, a man appeared. He had his colourless hair tied in a pony and his pair of spectacles shone in the dim moonlight.

"It took me some time to find you...but things are alright now, I guess."

Zero straightened herself. "I'm sorry, I don't know you."

"But I know you, though we were never properly introduced. Here, why don't we start- my name's Kabuto Yukashi." He held out his hand.

Zero ignored it. "Alright, Yukashi, if you know me, what's my name?"

"I believe your current name is Zero- you had another name back then, but we never used it as much. Haha, don't be so stunned! You might, perchance, ask who are you and why I am here. Well, I'll do my best to explain, so long as you'll lend an ear briefly."

Zero shrugged; "I'll listen. Does this involve something important?"

"It involves everything. I've had a tough time searching for you, you took longer than I thought to awaken."

Zero sneered.

"No fears, young colleague. See, we both serve one master, and I respect you for your enormous powers yet to be discovered." He eyed that evil marking on her neck. The cursed seal...

"Who is your master?" Zero asked.

"Orochimaru."

"I've never heard of him."

"He is my master and it is not my duty to speak casually of him behind my back. To start, you were created, and was supposed to serve Orochimaru for one purpose - to help the evolution of his powers with your indestructible organic body and great powers.

"Yet now it is long since, and master and servant became isolated; he no longer requires you for the purpose that you were made. Before we had planned to awaken you the moment your mind and powers are ripened, and time is able- however, as you can see, your time has passed- you are but an old automaton-like creature, awakened due to nothing but overtime."

"Created for a purpose?" Zero shrugged. "But I'm alive and well, and I can live without serving anyone-great job, master."

"Don't speak so quickly- now you have indeed awakened (and contradicting our predictions) it was my instruction on my master to kill you, to prevent you from interfering with any other plans. Don't draw that grasscutter yet, young colleague. There is one way of avoiding conflict with my master and you may continue to live. You see, I am greatly trusted by my master. And I am very interested in your extraordinary powers carved merely out of ninja hands...and I will choose you to rank amongst my experimental specimen and use you, for my experiments. Yes, I can and will, but the choice is really up to you. Otherwise..."

"Hey, awesome idea man," Zero gave a stifling yawn. "But that doesn't sound any more exciting than dying. I don't like to die. Though what you said ain't my ideal life either."

"But think," Kabuto smiled curtly. "You've seen so much your first day as a breathing human. Would you like to go through that again?"

Zero bit her lip.

"See the sufferings? The unfairness? There are more wicked places in the ninja world, Zero...and there is no one in the ninja world but those who tolerate wickedness and create sin."

"You aren't like that, I think."

"You are wrong. I am gentle only because I wish to thwart whenever I choose. There are those who pretend to be good and chooses to mask his monstrousness. And I am one. There is no hope for the world."

Zero furrowed her brow.

"Come with me, and you will never have to bear a day of misery - shut from the world, living for a purpose- not a great one, but a good one...you pretend you do not care, but you hope for that, too, don't you?"

Zero thought about it quietly.

"When I first came to the world," she whispered in her head, "I was first awakened in the watery cave. Then I came out in the sunshine and air. They all pestered me. But there was something that stirred- something vivid, ready to live- and I was excited for life- I was- I was free."

She turned back to Kabuto. "And I could not live without that."

"Without what?" the latter asked.

"Well, never mind that." Zero replied, and turned around. "Let's just say, I can't live without some life, y'know-" her hand clasped around the hilt of her grasscutter. "I wouldn't make a good experiment, 'cause I like to do whatever I want."

She spun and slashed her sword at Kabuto- but the sword cut air- he was nowhere in sight. At once Zero tried to sense where he vanished to- but she sensed naught. She looked everywhere...

"Well, you really are a pest, aren't you?"

She turned to find Kabuto standing at the exact spot where he was before. "It is not good to disobey orders from the master," he remarked somewhat playfully.

"Well, for your information- I don't give a damn about rules!" At this Zero rushed forward and held her glory blade high over her head and proceeded to strike down the opponent- but he merely reached out his hand and with a dazzled flash, her blade was firmly grasped by a ball of chakra. She struggled to remove it, but in vain.

"You are far too weak if you do not even know how to channel your own energy and control it," Kabuto whispered tauntingly. "There are ways to win the battle without killing the enemy."

"Let- me- go!"

Kabuto shrugged. "I prefer a specimen with a free will. If you like to live so much- then fine. I'll give you three days. Go out and explore the human world. Go and 'live', as you call it. And I'll see you again, crawling back here on your ass wishing you had taken my advice. And now- adieu, Zero."

He released the chakra so suddenly Zero fell back at her own strength, skidded, and struck her head against a rock.

Kabuto left.

V

For two days Zero wandered throughout the land, like a little feather unsure of where to settle. She tried her best to follow the ways of the other villagers; but they had family, employment and some form of devotion to ease the soul, and to liven the heart; Zero did not have something she loved and would return her love; one or another always had some sort of defect. She had no purpose in life.

On the second day it had begun to snow; and Zero shivered in a village corner trying to keep herself warm."Perhaps humans only have enough love and respect for family," she thought. "I was made to serve a master- so I don't have one. Perhaps - perhaps Kabuto was right...perhaps I wasn't meant to live..."

But we must not dwell and devote ourselves entirely to what Zero had seen and heard during the past two days, or we would've transgressed and lengthened the prolixity of this tale.

On a morning (the third day in Zero's case) when frost had quietly visited during the night, a few women with laundry duty witnessed a young woman near the village's freezing river; they remembered her particularly well before that incident, for she had a thin figure and sickly complexion that were almost frightening. She bore a black, tattered kimono of some sort that were not commonly seen in fashions, but this village being tiny, plain, and away from society, it suited her better.

After the sight of this young woman- the reader may guess it was Zero- that incident occurred. Zero had arrived at this village tired and hungry, when she heard the yelp, and she turned only to see that it was an old fellow on the river, whose boat had crashed into tricky rocks that ambushed him when he got too close. As the boat overturned, he swiftly dived into the waters and swam to a close-by island. With some effort, he conducted himself atop the island, soaked and drenched; but the water current was running icily cold, and the shoreline was too far for him to swim across without difficulty; he was hesitating.

A small crowd had gathered around the scene; the people cried for him to swim back; but still his mind spun with doubt. This lasted for almost a minute; he could not stand there all day without catching a serious cold.

Suddenly, he gave a gallop and plunged in the water; the crowd quieted; they waited anxiously. But soon afterwards, he broke through the water surface and started to struggle madly; what was he doing? Was he fighting the currents?

He was pushing against the currents- but it was too fast, even during the last days of autumn...he won't make it...

As the fellow struggled in vain, someone else proclaimed:" Quick! Get a boat!" there was not enough time to hustle a boat down here without the fellow drowning first; but some had gone off in hope that there just might be enough...

Swift as lightning, a man from the crowd had plunged into the water; the crowd gaped as they watched the swimmer battle against the cold current and rushing to another's rescue. They do not know who he was, for his face was obscured from view; yet as he swam further from shore, it became clear either he would complete the rescue or die in the process.

The crowd watched anxiously at the mysterious hero- he had gone halfway- he had reached the fellow, and swung the fellow's arm over his neck- carrying such a burden slowed him; but he fought bravely, and the crowd cheered as they came closer.

Eventually they reached inland, and a few had stepped into the shallow water themselves to grasp the survivors, and as they went ashore, the crowd clapped and cheered, and laughed (in a friendly matter) when some villagers came back with their boats.

The fellow who had lost a boat were taken home at once by his family, who had arrived last-minute and did not speculate the marvelous save. The saver, the young man who had risked his life into the water for another man, quietly went away from the cheering crowd.

Curious, Zero followed him. They were a considerable distance from the river when Zero spoke:

"What the hell was that?"

And he turned around.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I meant, why did you save that guy?"

"Why not?"

"He's going to die anyways."

"I saved him because he needed someone to save him."

"Yeah, but he won't need someone to save him if you just let him die- I mean, it won't be your fault anyways- you're not his son or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then why-"

"Look, he needed someone so I just lent a hand- you got a problem with that?"

There was a tense silence; seeing she had no reply, the young man turned and proceeded to go on his way.

"Wait!" Zero came up next to him. "I'm sorry for saying things like that- I'm just curious- I've never seen a guy like you before, and I'm- well, I'm just sorry."

She was afraid he'd get angry; but she saw the corner of his lips twist slightly into a smile.

For some reason, this made her feel happy- she was no longer sad, but happy! Imagine, when her world was but melancholy and brittle during the last two days- WOOOOO-HOOOO! Not sunshine nor air nor anything could bring her down!

"What's your name? I'm Zero, I think."

"I'm Segan."

VI

Poor Zero! She had little to eat between the two lonely days and now she is absolutely famished. She wolved down a rice bowl with loans from Segan- he's just too kind!- without any regards as to how she will be able to repay him. Ever.

To this matter he told her: "You ought to pay me back, but if you really can't, I guess I'll let it off, it's just a rice bowl- what the?"

"I'm crying," Zero replied. "I'm crying, but I'm not feeling sad- in fact, I feel wonderful. Can one shed tears without the sadness? All I'm thinking of is- is how kind you are and- and how-"

She stopped there. Segan awkwardly shrugged: "No, it's really just nothing at all- ha-choo!"

"I could be wrong, but I think you're catching a cold."

"Nonsense! I was only in the freezing waters for ten minutes AT MOST- no way."

"Funny, now I'm laughing too, but I'm crying...I thought you could never laugh while you're crying."

"I must be going bonkers too," thought Segan. "Inviting a strange girl to breakfast and talking with her like old friends-"

But they both secretly admitted they were kind of fascinated by each other. Zero thought Segan was a kind of person too kind to exist, and Segan thought he had never met a girl as naïve but clever-ish like Zero. Besides, he liked making friends, and this sort of thing came naturally to him- before, he constantly made friends with practically people he met on first sight, even those outside the village- but he withdrew his connections and devoted himself to catering for his mother two months ago, and he never saw his friends for some time. He was the type who often judge people on first impressions- and if he found you to his liking in five minutes you might as well have been his friend for ten years.

And he liked Zero.

Segan worked as a delivery man in a restaurant, and everywhere he went, Zero followed; but he didn't mind her otherwise seemingly pestering questions; he didn't mind her following him around almost in a stalker fashion; and Zero had many, many questions.

In a way, she almost worried him; she trusted him too quickly; if she trusted others as quickly as she did him, well...that's not good.

"Segan, do tell, what's that thing you have over there?" Zero asked him during lunch break.

"That? That's a guitar."

"Does it help you make noodles?"

"No it doesn't- it plays music."

"What's music?"

"Are you serious? Man, you're pretty ignorant for - how old are you?"

"Um, I think, I think I might be fourteen or fifteen...I don't know."

"Frick, you don't know your own age? What, did your mom forget your birthday or some- sorry," he hastily added, seeing a strand of unwanted gloom in her brow. "Anyway, what were we- oh, yes, the guitar. You see, I play the guitar- helps me make a living too. So I got this morning job delivering stuff, and in the afternoon I get to play the guitar and if passerby's like it, they give me money."

"Wow, you live a very busy life!"

"Yeah, anyway, after we finish, you can tag along and see me perform."

Zero actually helped a little with the delivery, and she was proud to have carried the delivery box six times during the day. And when afternoon struck, Segan went away with his guitar. He looked so cool, with his guitar strap...

He went to the busiest part of the village he could find, and with his guitar he struck a few chords, and sang a bit- he had such a sincerity of tone and heaven-sent voice, his loose strands of hair running amongst his bang, and Zero initially sat very quietly in the corner at a considerable distance, watching him, transfixed...so this was music...he looked terribly angelic, she really loved him then, and even failed to notice the small gathering of crowds, which was growing by the minute.

"Ah, that's Segan again, I remember."

"He plays so well..."

After a few songs, Segan gestured to her: "C'mon, you can sing with me."

"Oh, but I can't-"

"Hell you can't. Just make it up!"

The crowd clapped in response, and she tried a few pitches, and knew not what they were- it was quite embarrassing, but Segan grasped her shoulder after they finished and they laughed it off. The crowd laughed with them, and she was almost worried that her poor performance would affect his fares, but he collected a fair amount anyways. To thank the audience, Segan began to sing an encore. 


	3. III: Confrontation

VII

While all of this laughing and celebrating in the dusk close to evening, a figure sat on the rooftops and watched silently. The sun was to his back, but his specs and his ponytail were still clear as ever—

Kabuto.

He watched Zero for the past three days, under Lord Orochimaru's command. Really, his master still did not trust Zero to walk the earth astray. He smiled a bit when he thought of Zero...how her original form came to be...

"Ah, Kabuto, see what we have here..."

Orochimaru was a brilliant man- soundly evil, but brilliant, and he cruelly experimented on subjects no other ninja dared dream of, works such as the Cursed Seal of Heaven...but he craved power, and desired something beyond his studies- the Sharingan. But the only survivor of the Uchiha clan who had the full extent of those eyes were—

There was always Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan, but he was too well protected and too weak for him...the tomb of a lesser significant Uchiha, a young woman at that, would be far more susceptible. So Kabuto had plundered from the grave DNA samples of that particular girl...and Orochimaru would recreate her...she did not have the powers of the Sharingan, but she would become an important tool to defeat that man...

The DNA started producing cells at an incredible rate, and they reproduced ten fetuses all carrying the gene code of that young woman...they tested the Cursed Seal of Heaven and many kinjitsus on all, and two days later only one fetus survived and completed the formation of the body of its deceased master. Uchiha Yuki was alive and breathing, but simply not moving as if she was frozen with time...

"She is rather pretty," Kabuto remarked once, looking at her face. "No wonder Itachi was in love with her."

"Yes, she is very beautiful" was Orochimaru's reply, but Kabuto felt he spoke of another beauty that did not charm him as it did with his master.

"Kabuto, when it is time, I will enter this girl's body and unleash the horrors of my powers. Even Uchiha Itachi will falter at the sight of his former lover reincarnated for her revenge. I will strike swiftly, and he will not know when he is defeated. Hahaha!"

Logically, Kabuto thought if Itachi could slay his lover one time, he could slay her a second time...but even a man like him has weaknesses...Orochimaru can hide in the body, which will theoretically shield him somewhat from the deadly genjitsu of Mangekyo Sharingan...and even Itachi would not dream of his lover rising from her grave and attack him...this particular clone of Yuki was compatible with most of her injected powers, and she had an indestructible physical body that would only fail after Itachi dies himself.

Yet it happened suddenly. The entire research facility foundation collapsed after a minor earthquake and damaged one of its delicate bases. And Zero (the new code name of the recreation) got buried under ruins. There is a chance the machine that she lived in is undamaged and she is still alive, but chances were low, and it is assumed she was dead. Who knew that after six years...six years after that horrendous massacre of the Uchiha clan and five years after her supposed death, Zero would develop a mind of her own, rise from her deathly tomb and breathe again...

He had done most of the work completing her body and grew attached to the experiment. It was almost like finding a long lost toy still in mint condition, it was, when he heard Zero was still alive...she could not live. She had far too much power...but Orochimaru did not instruct him specifically to kill her.

"Do whatever you like with her" was more like him...

Perhaps he could enjoy this toy a bit longer...

VIII

"Where are we going?"

Evening had arrived; nighttime used to scare Zero, but now she realized she was no longer scared of it; she was safe with him...

"Well, I am going home; where do you live, per say? I could drop you off."

"I don't really have a home...I guess I'll just find a place to stay."

"Whoa, scratch that. There are no inns in the village that lets you stay a night for free and you got no money. How bout you come over to my house and stay for the night?"

Zero was tempted to tell him she slept on the streets for the past two days, but resisted and consented. They walked the way home; the moon's visage was becoming opaque as the last rays of the sun woven over the hushing land. How joyous it will be to laugh with him and talk with him and feel she was no longer alone! But instead they walked very quietly- Segan scarcely chuckled, and Zero was now concerned it might've been something she did.

Alas, they came upon the cottage- a bit shabby, but quite neat; Zero having never been in a house before, and marveled at everything she saw, but there was a sickly grimness in the atmosphere, and it prevented her from cheerfulness.

"I'm home."

"Segan? Is it you?"

And from a chamber at the end of the halls echoed a voice rasp and cynical like the dead. But Segan relinquished his guitar and requested kindly for her to sit at the crooked table. That she did, hearing the sound of gushing water and rushing footsteps...a while later, he reappeared, and took a seat next to her.

"I cleaned out a room for you."

"Thank you."

A pause, and he began to speak. "That was my mother."

"Oh. Is she not well? Perhaps I could go see her if-"

"No, please don't. She's really sick and I don't want you to catch anything bad; neither does she." He sat still for a second. "Everything- the bills and stuff is paid by my delivery job, I got the medicine by the guitar.

"You know, I don't usually do well with the guitar. I try not to, but sometimes I cry in the middle of the song. Haha, this is real embarrassing."

"Where's your father?"

"If the old man was still alive, I'd be a fisherman. Guy passed on when I was little. Just me and my mom; real quiet. But, now that I think about it...maybe I shouldn't've rushed to save the drowning guy this morning."

"Why?"

"If I died in that water, my mom would be screwed- she'd have no one left to take care of her."

"Do you regret it?"

"In a sense- but that old man's got family too, so I'm glad I saved him in the end. When I think back on it though, scares the shit outta me. What if I died?"

But if you didn't, I wouldn't've met you, Zero thought. And I wouldn't know the joys of life...yet if you had died...

She sighed. Segan bolted upright, alarmed. "Sorry, you must be getting bored. Here, I'll take you to your room, and then you can-"

A knock on the door interrupted him. They both went still, fixated, not sure what to do; a second knock followed.

"I'll get it."

Segan got up and opened the door. Zero could see, from this angle that they were strange men, in dark garments and...forehead shields?

"Sorry to disturb you at this time of day, sir," one spoke, real low... "Do you, by chance, have a guest in your house?"

"Yes, I do."

"Does she look like this?"

Segan grasped the door tightly. "What do you want?"

"We're officials from the Konoha Ninja Police Department, and we are tracking down a killer who slaughtered three men- possibly a rogue ninja. You must answer honestly, or we will have...great troubles."

Zero's heart sank lower with each word, for she had almost forgotten for awhile she had killed three men...possibly three innocent, righteous men... She heard not Segan's reply, but instead she heard the raspy sound from his sick mother...

"Who is it, Segan?"

If Segan got in trouble with these officials...his mother...oh, oh dear...she could not let...because of her...

She got up and faced the strangers, and looked at them as if they were judges of her crime.

"You are looking for me, aren't you? Please, take me away if you wish, don't disturb Segan any longer than necessary...I promise I'll go, quietly."

They murmured amongst themselves while she spoke, and when she finished, came the dreadful reply: "That's not possible. You are the killer of three men in the Land of Fire and yet you insist we take this matter lightly? That young man must come for questioning too."

"But- you don't understand- he has a mother- he knew nothing of this-"

"Zero-"

"We cannot," the conclusion came. "It is the law and we must be cautious. We cannot trust your words."

"I can't come with you," Segan replied coldly. "There will be no one left to take care of..." he stopped.

Zero began to draw her grasscutter. "Let him go or I'll have to-"

There was a painful edging of iron, and before Zero realized, three bladed chains had cut through her arms and her leg. She gasped in shock, and felt her blood pulse...

Thump-bum. Thump-bum.

"It's too late," she heard them speak. "Our mission is complete."

"Zero!"

They dragged her outside and pinned her down. Her head, lopsided, could see that they were reaching for Segan...no...no, it can't end like this...

Thump-bum. Thump-bum...

Her neck was burning...

IX

Suddenly, a great pulse of energy shot through her, so quickly and unguarded against. Her body shuttered, and rejected the blades clutching in her wounds. Impossible...impossible...but yes, it felt wonderful...

She heard them yelp...but it made no matter...ugly, black feathers sprawled from her shoulder blades and cut across the skin, infecting the arms and reproducing in great quantities...soon she was smothered by them, and she had an overflow of power...she thrust out her arm, that great feathered thing she could no longer recognize, her arm stretched magnificently and easily snatched one...ninjas, huh? What was so special about them? He succumbed to nothing but blood and flesh like any normal human after she squished him easily in her grasp.

"Careful!"

"Get her!"

They were warned by their previous teammate's death; their movement now more nimble and rapid; she could not grab them so easily, even with her arm...her burning arm...their weapons spun out and pinned unto her...they caused no pain, but they annoyed her...really annoyed her...

Damned humans!

"Now!"

That was all she heard before she yet again had the bladed chains spearing through her...what were they, morons?

"Yes, we got her!"

"Pull!"

They tugged at her insides, but she would not let them get away so easily...she clasped the chains, one in each hand, and pulled; obviously they really were morons, for they were unprepared against this counter, and went with the recoiling chain halfway before letting go...and then she lunged forward...before one realized, she plunged her sword into flesh...she didn't care who it was, as long as she could hurt- kill- destroy something...

She heard a moan, but put it off and pinned the last ninja to the ground. She had him in her hand...and she actually relished the fear that sparked in his eyes.

"DEMON!"

That was what he screamed after she broke his neck...

There was no one left...

"Zero!"

Someone called to her...that dear, dear voice...Zero's feathers started to vanish...the burning on her neck, too, had ceased...her vision became transparent...she smelled blood that granted her the glorious triumph a moment ago...she was covered in it...make it go away...

"Zero..."

She saw Segan, at the entrance to his shabby, cozy home...the home that she never got to sleep in...she dared not look at him...she must not let him see her...ever again.

She heard him call one last time as she turned and spurred into the dead of the night. She heard people coming out of their houses, inquiring what was going on...she heard them call out in her direction, but they did not matter...the blood of another three had tainted her hands once again.

What was wrong with her? Why did she always get so angry? Was she really a bloodthirsty killer? A demon?

What were the black feathers that sprouted out of her arm? What was the burning on her neck?

Where was she?

"ARGH!" she shrieked. I'll never see him again...never...everything was going so well...Segan...he must think I'm a monster...

"I wouldn't think that."

"Go away," she muttered, but her throat was hoarse and dry.

"I figured you'd miss me." He looked at her and smiled almost mockingly. "So have you seen enough? Want to go and have more adventures in the world? Ah, your journey was not entirely meaningless- you've awakened the power of the Cursed Seal of Heaven and the Serapha Arms...I feared if such powers remained dormant in you, they'd eventually subside with time."

Zero made no reply.

"Look, there's no need to be angry," Kabuto said lightly. "I warned you, didn't I? You'd be crawling back here on your ass. You know why you came back here- you won't admit it, but you, too, hate this world, don't you? And I-" his volume suddenly dropped so he spoke very softly- "I will treat you with care, unlike those humans-"

"Let me tell you again- I will not degrade myself into one of your stupid specimen!"

Kabuto shrugged. "Strong spirit, eh? Fine. I'm a man of free will- but eventually, I'll have to do something about you. Lord Orochimaru does not like strays running around."

Silence. And then—

"If you will," Zero's voice trembled. "Please do me a favour; kill me. Quickly. Then I'll let you do whatever you wish to me. Otherwise- you'll never have me."

"Alright, let's see what I can do," Kabuto whispered, and she stood before him, and closed her eyes- without warning, a kunai plunged into her heart- it was a moment of cold and despair, and she waited for the pain, but it did not come- Kabuto withdrew the death blade. No blood came out, and her flesh around the wound - to her shock- started to swell and push till they wrapped around the mouth and a layer of skin quickly reformed.

There were no signs of an injury except a slash in her shirt.

"Now that terrifying demonstration is done, I'll now tell you the easy part," he put that crude some weapon away, and enjoying the now astonishing, mistrusting look in Zero's eyes. "I can't kill you."

"What?"

"It's true! You've got an indestructible body from the start, even without activating the Cursed Seal. I thought you might make an interesting experiment. Lord Orochimaru performed on you a kinjitsu that even I could not remove."

That's not true, Zero thought, and realized she is shaking. That's not true...

"There is only one man on this Earth who could kill you."

"My master?"

"I didn't tell you the entire truth on our first meeting. You were created for a purpose- to kill one single man, presumably the most powerful man alive. So you were equipped with deadly powers, and with the help of Lord Orochimaru, you could kill him. There's a reason why you're the way you look, too. You are the life copy of that man's deceased lover. Ah, brings me back- we once called you by your given name Uchiha Yuki.

"Therefore, your body will fail only after that man's death," Kabuto continued, seemingly oblivious... "The only way for you to die is for him to die."

"Where is he?" she asked.

"I wouldn't go looking for him," Kabuto answered, still seemingly ignorant of what she is about to do. "You were not created to surpass him relying solely on your own powers. But yes, I'll answer your question. I'm sure he does not stay in one place; but he often dwells in-" 


	4. IV: Finale

X

There was his favourite haunt, where he could meditate the mind and reflect on his thoughts. The merciless ocean breeze that swept through the shores, even up to the peak of a coastal cliff, where Uchiha Itachi sometimes loitered. Not a single day passed without some remanence resurfacing to plague his soul, and here was a shelter that he would sometimes retire to renew his conscience.

Sometimes memories came too, of father...mother...Sasuke...times when he somehow believed they were still alive. But only just.

"Ay, big brother, won't you teach me the shuriken technique today?"

"Not yet, Sasuke. Today is the arrival of important guests."

Nearly the entire Uchiha clan is disposed to making arrangements for these guests. Itachi had long forgotten who they were and everything...he only remembered the bright, festive party that was formal, but nevertheless a sensation; their honoured guests; he smiled when he saw her.

After the party was over, they went outdoors and walked together in the evening mist; she dressed in her finest, and they were so close...he could hear her breathing.

"How is Sasuke?"

"Very well."

"I heard from my father you got into ANBU. Haha- My brother would be better off- father gave him a five hour lecture on how he wasn't as good as you."

"And you?"

"Well, to my guilty conscience, I watched quietly; but I am a woman; I let men have their quarrels."

She teased him, and he let her have it; but she never dared tease him more than subtly; Yuki firmly believed as a mere member of the great Uchiha clan, her life was devoted to the service of other clan members, and she feared offending the upper class. But she did not know he would let her go on and on, only to hear her speak.

It had begun to snow. He laid his cloak on her back...it was winter after all...and he walked her home.

Things were milk and honey...but he knew, even then, disaster was breeding...

How they all fell at his feet...his home...his family...some were his friends...his clothes would be drenched in their lifeblood...and she would appear sometimes, her unbelieving eyes that stared into his hardened heart.

"Why did you do this?"

The sound of footsteps woke him; he did not know the person approaching him...he turned.

Her face appeared again, almost with transparency; it was a dream, surely it must be...

"Yuki?"

But she continued forward without retarding nor hastening; she was like a ghost...her eyes were lifeless, as it had been...for the first time in a long time, he tasted fear...

"Yuki..."

Yet he knew she would not harm him. He stood there, unwilling to move. She came closer...she still had the same sweet essence...

She suddenly drew her blade and thrashed at him; it only narrowly missed; a few strands of his hair fell before him; death was so close...

She didn't stop. She attacked him a second time, but he dodged with ease. No...this was not Yuki...her eyes were always mild and tender, but this...her eyes were nothing but emptiness and hatred.

"Dammit!"

She dashed for him, the cliffs were there behind him, welcoming him with their open arms...no. Zero raised her grasscutter and released a series of thrashes. Yet as sudden as Zero appeared, he was gone, perhaps no more than a wisp of wind.

Zero held her blade, as the tenseness rises in a crescendo around her...a dangerous enemy is an unseen enemy, she thought. "Come on out!" she cried. "I went looking for you for several hours and I'm not leaving until you're dead!"

The air above her stirred fora fraction of a second, and she lent her arm to screen herself from whatever was coming, but too late- three shurikens struck her arm, and there they stayed. Itachi was high above the sky...

"Humph..."

She appeared before him; her arms had transformed into great, demonic limbs, and a pair of monster wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, cloaked by a coat of sable plumages; she thrust her Serapha Arm at him, and he dissolved into crows at once, carrying the moon's lustre on their wings. They glided lazily away from her, and he reformed as easily as ever.

"The Cursed Seal of Heaven..." he muttered. "Were you sent here by Orochimaru?"

"Nobody sent me, I came here of my own will-" Her Angelo Wings gave a stroke, and she plummeted skyward, her Serapha Arm ready to attack- but Itachi was fast, and swiveled out of every blow. Frustrated, Zero yielded a punch with all the force she mustered- Itachi spun away- but her grasscutter was waiting for this, and out from the shadows it came and swung about- it slaughtered him in the face and he fell into the shallow tides.

Without a sound.

That's it? That is all of the strength the Uchiha Itachi conceived?

He's dead, she thought. And I, too, will soon embrace the death.

And she suddenly started to wonder- AT THIS MOMENT- what was death? Will it hurt? The prospect of never able to wake again startled her for a second- but she soon relaxed. There was nothing in the world left for her that is worth living for- Segan's gone...and took the world with him...

But she still wasn't dead yet.

A tingling sense overcame her and wiggled in the back of her brain. What was this feeling? The sense that it was over- too soon?

She whirled around in such a violent manner her wings almost betrayed her- and now it came clear to her the man who just died a second ago was still withstanding on the sea cliff. The waves still crashed into the cliff's underside; it was as if nothing happened.

"You- I killed you a second ago-"

"But I did not move from here," he replied. 

XI

She came to an abrupt realization that this man was powerful...far more powerful than he appeared...she shivered in fear, great fear, but began to laugh; wildly.

"Alright then, let's get this started!"

She gave another violent reel of the grasscutter, and from it expelled her great power that fluctuated into the blade; but he had disappeared as mysteriously as he did before. Zero was getting tired of his tricks; if he did not put up a proper fight with her, she shall be seriously pissed.

"See how you like this one!" she concentrated the energy in her grasscutter again- the mirage of the blade pulsates against the horizon and sent it out in a shockwave, rippling in all directions. He ought to be here somewhere- even if he was using some sort of genjitsu- but not a shadow flickered, and before she could even think about her next move- an image was provoked to life in her mind:

She was standing in semi-nothingness, that reeked the smell of the deteriorated and unholy. She felt herself, a flimsy paper doll, ready to be shredded and devoured...she was burning, burnt like the flames of hell's Ninth Circle...she tried to scream, and it was impossible to produce sound...she lost her voice...was this the powers of an Uchiha's Sharingan?

And she lost levitation, falling back to earth...the dream-like ceil above her now seemed the world of the unrepentant...she found that she could not move, her body paralyzed from that moment of eternal nightmares..."Come on," she heard herself scream. "Move, get up, and fight!" but her body denied all commandments.

"You cannot overcome me," she heard his voice, haughty and noble, high above her, the defeated... "I have not yet unleashed a tenth of my strength, and you have already fallen."

She landed roughly unto the cliffs. Was this fight necessary? She did not care who would win...she simply cannot lose...if she lost, she could not die, and she must dawdle the world, scarred and branded as a murderer...an outlaw...

She was never meant to live!

She strived to move, just a finger...an arm...she could fight again...

"I see," he said, after he discerned the rekindled wrath in her eyes: "You bear her body, but not her soul." he sounded somewhat disappointed...and both knew who "she" was.

"Good thing I didn't- or I would've loved a pussy like you to death!"

Her body found its nerves and joints, and she bolted up- she grasped her grasscutter and performed an uppercut- he deflected it easily with a kunai, and even sent her skidding back a few metres- he was just too powerful...

"I won't... I've come this far... I cannot lose!"

Desperate, Zero no longer bothered the massive energy pumping through her body; liberated, it relinquished all at once, pumping her body to its extent- she darted to her target, who was all she could see- yes, just kill him, and she'll die along...she'll be free of suffering...

A bright light appeared before her- the light of destruction- it whirled towards her, a great fireball that consumed all things before its path. Zero felt the heat enveloping her...but it did not matter...

Itachi performed a fireball jitsu, but it was easy to dodge...once she dodges, he'll- what—

Incredibly, from the giant gas of flames emerged the tips of black feathers- the Angelo Wings guarded her from the flames, but they were pretty burnt up, too- Zero opened the sheathed wings, and extended her Serapha Arm- she must hold him in her clasp- he would not disappear again- she would not allow it—

-But there, in her hand, was nothing more than a piece of cloth- she only dispatched part of his sleeve- he was gone- where was he?

WHERE WAS HE?

"NNNAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!"

There unleashed a cry that she could not decipher between her voice or that of a beast's. She collapsed, and on her knees like an injured creature; furious, she struck the cold, stony ground with her Serapha Arm—

"You thought I was her, didn't you-" each blow dealt was heavier than the one before- "Whatever you had with- did to her- it is no business of mine. I ain't her- don't pity me for what I'm not!"

The moon still lingered in the sky; and the sky remained silent. There was nothing except bitter defeat.

"I am Zero, not Yuki!"

With all her strength she thrust her head to the heavens and screamed in her passion. Perhaps she wanted to cry, but no tears would come- anger and remorse bounded to her and would not let go.

I was made to look like her in body...but I could never be like her...she loved him, loved him...she was human...and I...I am but a demon twisted in a human body.

"Just let me die," she whimpered. "Let me die."

She did not care if she was plunged into another hell once more. She tried so hard...but she still could not bring him down...why was she not born into a family, where she could always retreat to if she needed...instead she was a CLONE, an ungodly, inhumanly clone...

"Why do you want to die, Zero?"

She felt him standing behind her...she could not answer. There were too many reasons...she endeavoured to stand, but her wings are burnt, her feathers bent and broken, and she lost all of her strengths... "I...lost...everything," she replied. "I lost him...I lost love...I lost hope...I have no intentions of living any more...but this cursed body...it won't die...only when you died, I- I could-"

She stopped, presumably noting how childish she sounded. She just realized who she was speaking to, and great, pearly tears were dropping from her lights- they landed on the rocks, and shattered- like liquid glass- into a thousand pieces.

"Zero..."

"Call me Yuki if you want- it doesn't matter now."

"But Yuki's fate is sealed- and so is the rest of the Uchiha clan. My fate, too, is sealed. I am a man doomed to die. Yours is not."

"I have, Orochimaru will take me away if I don't die now- they'll take away my liberty- the only thing I have!"

She turned back, and saw nothing except the rhythmic movement of the sea, that sung the silent hymn rocking the earth. 

XII

Kill...the desire to kill overwhelmed him...that power was too great...even for him...he lost...

"You had it all along, Itachi...?"

That was what he screamed before Orochimaru was sealed into the boundary of darkness. Sasuke grimaced...his mind...nothing...he could think only of nothing...

"Now I shall take out your eyes, Sasuke."

And that man's lunatic smirk transformed into utter shock as his chest contracted, and he complied to it as he curdled on the rocks; from his throat, blood kept coming...

Frantic, Sasuke withdrew his bladed explosive notes and thrust them at him...but Susanoo still burned with great, apocalyptical energy, and his weapons were no more than dust and ashes...Itachi walked forth...

"Those eyes are mine..."

His last, feeble attempt to havoc the Yata Mirror was hopeless from the start...it knocked his grasscutter away...alas, he lost...he will die...or live in hell...

Itachi reached for his eyes- his knees shook- he could not close them- his eyelids- he would soon yield to him—

"This is the end, Sasuke."

He felt a light plod against his forehead.

What?

That's...

Sasuke will be fine on his own...he's gotten stronger...and my mission is complete...I will die an exiled traitor...but Sasuke will walk on...he'll be fine...I've done all I can...

With his fading vision, he somehow saw...his family, those days when peace continuously lapsed the village...he was with his father and mother...Nagami...Yuki...they were all there...live on, little brother...my niche...my stage...will curtain.

He fell at his brother's feet.

Even in death, I dream of peace.

A slight afterword:

(You don't have to read my rant, only if you're really bored)

Yay, the afterword, when an author gets his/her sweet reward at the end to juice his/her story.

Starting from the beginning, Zero was a character I created way back before I even knew what OC and Mary Sues were. So you can guess she wasn't very impressive. I looked back on her and thought "Oh, she'd make a good OC" but she needed LOTS of polishing up - member of a supposedly dead clan- BFF with Nagami- and WTF, Orochimaru's sister? Hell, is that even possible?

So I cut her down and fixed her personality (which was sunshine and rainbows!) and then I edited her a few times in minor spots, but I hoped she would still retain some "Sue" qualities to make her somewhat interesting. I was severely tempted to give her a shot of Dante/Nero antihero badass attitude so she could taunt her enemies. I gave her a little, but all it did was make it look like she vaguely had split personality. Oh well- came out OKAY. She was anguish and stuff, but somewhat hopeful and persistent. I liked her better.

About Zero's Cursed Seal- originally she was supposed to have an ice&fire sword, but that'd get in the way of fighting and it's not really Naruto-like. So I slapped a seal on her. Also I read about the term "Sable Plumage" in Agnes Grey, meaning "black feathers" so I thought: wow, I think this would make a great title- especially when Zero can grow monstrous feathers out of her. Why black feathers...? Because it sounds kinda cool & original.

If you're disturbed Zero actually killed people, have no worries- I don't agree with it either, but it's a plot device. I'll tell you, those memories haunted her for the rest of her short life as a consequence.

I gave the story some other self-imagined OCs to back it up. Yuki, for example, was Zero's original copy. Madara told Sasuke that Itachi "killed his lover" but never said who it was, so it left room for imagining. I guess because of that, when I did some Mary Sue tests, there were a lot of "technically yes" answers (eg Q: are you related to a canon character? A: technically yes). In my POV though, Zero's an entirely different entity from Yuki, besides the fact that they share chromosomes and DNA. Some differences are that Yuki is a really focused, motherly matron-like character who lived a simple, tamely romantic life. Zero is more wild and confused, though somewhat similar to Yuki...doesn't give a damn about Itachi or anything, really. Like how twins have different (but not polar opposite) personalities.

Segan was a really unexpected OC. I didn't originally intend to include him in, but he just popped outta nowhere. The hip, confident dude with a heart of gold (sort of), just your average down-to-earth guy. Well, I needed someone to give Zero some hope and joy in her meaningless life- so I could crush it outta her. Segan did a good job, I guess :D

A canon character like Kabuto was totally unexpected too, but I needed someone to know everything, and who better than Orochimaru's right hand man, who values free will and loyalty? Itachi...his coming in was all planned, Zero wants to die, so she went recklessly searching for him. Pretty straightforward. The ending I had less taste in...I originally planned to have Zero die next to Itachi, since once Itachi died she would die too, the backlash of having an indestructible body, but that just sounded morbid and illogical- how the hell would she know there's a duel anyways? So I just started and ended with Itachi VS Sasuke.

I think Zero and Itachi's duel were somewhat similar to Sasuke VS Itachi, but in my defense, allow me to say I never watched the entire duel before I wrote chapters X and XI. I only watched a third of it, the part where Itachi died, on YouTube. I watched the rest afterwards. Then again, Naruto fights are all somewhat similar anyways.

Anyways, tell me what you thought—you liked it, you didn't like it, general critiques, really. I'd appreciate even a sentence.

If you actually finished reading this top to bottom- wow. You're my hero. Just wow.

I love you. 


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